Life-saving defibrillator installed at Paragon

A new £5 million vets in Yorkshire is proving it doesn’t just provide top-class care for animals after investing £1,500 in a potentially life-saving defibrillator for use by its staff and neighbouring businesses.

Paragon Veterinary Referrals, in Wakefield, has purchased the automated external defibrillator (AED) for use on the surrounding Paragon Business Park, to provide emergency help to anyone suffering from cardiac arrest.

The device gives an electric shock to the heart through a patient’s chest and is a crucial part of treating an attack, as giving defibrillation within the first few minutes gives the patient the best possible chance of recovery.

The easy-to-use device provides voice instructions to the person using it to make the process as straightforward as possible.

It’s part of a wider commitment to looking after people as well as animals at Paragon, as the practice is also pledging to provide first aid and fire marshal training to all staff.

Operations co-ordinator Rebecca Lunn said: “After recently attending a first aid appointed person course, it really stuck me how valuable a defibrillator can be in saving a person’s life. We’re a new face on a growing business park and offering this service to other business is our way of doing our bit.

“Looking after animals is our focus but it’s great to be able to help people as well. We’re ambitious in everything we do and having all staff trained to give first aid is a great target to aim for.”

Paragon, which is part of the Linnaeus Group, has invested heavily in first-class equipment for the 18,000sq ft site, including a £1 million imaging suite with state-of-the-art MRI and CT scanners and five operating theatres.

The centre is part of Dewsbury-based Calder Vets, which has 12 first opinion practices across Yorkshire.